Taipei ranked 21st best student city worldwide

(CNA file photo)

London, Feb. 15 (CNA) Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, was listed 21st on the latest Best Student Cities index released Wednesday by a British company specializing in education and study abroad.

Taipei was one of two cities in Taiwan that made the top-100 list of best urban destinations for international students, which is compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) based on university rankings, student mix, employer activity, desirability, affordability, and student views.

The other Taiwan city was Hsinchu, which is known as the Silicon Valley of the East because of its science park and was ranked 75th on the QS list.

At the top of the 2017 list was the Canadian city of Montréal, which unseated the four-year No.1 city of Paris in France.

After Montréal and Paris, the other top-10 cities were London, Seoul, Melbourne, Berlin, Tokyo, Boston, Munich and Vancouver.

The QS Best Student Cities index draws on more than 20 sources to assess cities in six categories, which included student views this year for the first time.

The new category is based on ratings by students and graduates with experience of studying in each city and is the final piece in the puzzle, according Dasha Karzunina, the lead analyst of this year's index.

"The student input not only adds a real-life perspective on studying in each city, verifying some of the other data-driven indicators we have, but also allows us to assess the more qualitative aspects of a city -- such as how friendly and inclusive it is and whether it has good nightlife," Karzunina said.

Montréal emerged fifth in the student view indicator, with a particularly strong rating for its arts and cultural offering, as well as for its friendliness, diversity and affordability, QS said.

Taipei was 10th in the category, with students indicating that they "are enjoying their experience of the city and are often keen to stay after graduation," QS said.

When asked to name the best things about studying in Taipei, one respondent summarized by saying "inclusion, diversity, friendliness," while another said the local people are friendly and helpful to foreigners, according to QS.

In the student view survey, QS said, it collected some 18,000 responses in December 2016 and January 2017.